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Bianchi

Bianchi HoC Oltre XR.2 Sram equipped Carbon Bicycle

Oltre – the name means ‘beyond limit’ – is a monocoque design made from ultra-high density carbon composite (unidirectional UMS40 for all the materials boffins) which makes this frame very stiff. Epoxy resin and nano-powder (yes nano-powder) are added to the mix to reduce the possibility of micro fractures developing. Carbon Nano Tube (CNT) technology increases the fracture toughness by 49% over standard resin and is 20% higher than their existing nano-technology. The Oltre also features Bianchi’s new X-TeX design inside the head tube area that is an internal mould shaping of the inner carbon walls into a grid-like structure with criss-crossing raised ridges that increases the stiffness and impact resistance without increasing the weight of the frame. Bianchi designers have also come up with a wrinkle-free molding process (WMP) to reduce weight. It is the quickest and easiest way to compensate for that is to increase the thickness of the laminate. Bianchi is particular about exactly how they build frames. By tuning the phases and the parameters of the manufacturing process Bianchi has increased the thickness of the laminate which keeps the frame weight down.